Rail clamp



uz- 20, 940. H. M. LAMB RAIL CLAMP Filed Jan. 24, 1939 Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT III of one half to 0. L. Callahan, West Frankfort,

Application January 24, 1939, Serial No. 252,653

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rail clamps and, particularly, to a clamp for securing a length of rail, commonly called the slide rail, to the end rails, referred to as permanent rails, of a mine car track when it becomes necessary to extend the track beyond the point at which it previously terminated.

in working coal mines, the mine car track is ,7 laid to a point close to the working face of the 10" ,ously interfere with the loading of the coal into 'cars on the track. This is true Whether the loadingis done manually or mechanically. Under such conditions, it is necessary or desirable to lengthen the track. If the rail sections used for this purpose are laid with their ends abutting the ends of the permanent rails, it is apparent that sections or" different lengths would be necessary to take care of the gradually increasing distance between the working face and track terminal. Consequently, it has become the general practice to place the new rails alongside of and overlapping the end rails of the previously laid track and releasably clamp them to the permanent rails so that, by releasing the new rails, they can be slipped endwise or adjusted longitudinally of the permanent rails to lengthen the track until the new rails cease to overlap the permanent rails.

One object of the invention is to provide a rail clamp of simple construction which will effectually lock the slide rail in the desired position.

Another object is to provide a clamp which will permit of ready adjustment of the slide rail, the clamping and releasing of said rail being easily performed with the present construction.

A still further object is to provide a simple, sturdy rail-clamping member, so assembled on the cross tie of the track as to insure proper positioning of said member at all times, thus insuring easy and effective operation of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping device integrated, so to speak, with the track cross tie, so that maximum rigidity is obtained, thus strengthening the entire structure and minimizing the' possibility of any of the structural elements jarring loose under impacts imposed thereon, a condition which has to be met in the use of the present-day type of cutting and loading machines. of the several elements on the cross tie also The mounting facilitates dismantling of the track without loss of any of the clamp structure.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l is a top plan view of one end portion of a cross tie and clamping device embodying the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the permanent and slide rails also being illustrated;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the clamping plate.

The cross tie I0, which is preferably of metal, has a central longitudinal depression II therein, and mounted on the upper surface of the tie are brackets I2 in which an operating lever i3 is pivoted, the lever being accommodated in said recess when in its lowered position for clamping the slide rail in place. Lever !3 comprises a handle portion and a cam-shaped extremity Is projecting from the brackets l2 toward the end of the tie for purposes which will be later described.

Near the end of the tie there is provided an abutment or stop l4, against which the rails, both the permanent rail l5 and the slide rail l6, are forced and clamped. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the base of the permanent rail [5, as usual, is

seated on the cross ties, but the slide rail I6 is placed with one edge of its base resting on the ties and with its thread portion positioned against the web of the permanent rail. Thus, the broad bottom face of the slide rail base is disposed toward the operating lever 13.

Mounted on the tie adjacent brackets 52 are guide members I! which are oifset inwardly from the sides of the tie. Preferably, each guide is of angular formation with one leg ll of each angle spaced above the tie and extending inwardly to a point where a space forming a guide-way is provided between the contiguous, inner edges. Slidable in this guide-way is a clamping plate 38 movable edgewise along the tie and also disposed edgewise with respect to the base of rail It. To

retain the plate I8 in perpendicular position on the tie, said plate is formed with lateral ofisets overlapping the inturned portions l'i of the guides. Preferably, upper and lower offsets I9, 20, are provided at each side of plate E8, the lower offsets l 9 engaging beneath the portions H of the guides and the upper offsets 2E1 overlying the upper surfaces. of said portions Il With the several parts in position, or assembled, the curved extremity '53 of the operating lever engages against the face of the clamping plate It and forces said plate and the rails toward the abutment ls. As will be understood, the length of the end w of the lever is such that, when the handle portion of said lever is depressed, as shownv in Fig. 2, the rails ,will be securely clamped between the clamping plate 98 and abutment H, but the slide rail can be readily adjusted lengthwise of the permanert rail merely by raising lever l3 and thus releasing the plate and rails.

The several parts, such as the stop Hi, guide members ill, and lever-supporting brackets 12 are all rigidly mounted, for instance, welded, on the face of the tie. As a consequence, the permanent rail is amply reinforced and there is no danger of said rail being damaged or broken by side thrusts which are necessarily present under normal working conditions and, particularly, where the present-day track-supported cutting and carloading machines are used. Any length of slide rail can be used and, as stated, adjustment of that rail is a minor operation which can be performed without any material loss of time. Rigid attachment of the several parts also lends strength to the cross tie and, in dismantling the track, there is no possibility of losing any portion of the clamping mechanism.

By disposing the clamping plate edgewise against the base of the slide rail it, and making said plate of a height substantially equal to the breadth of the rail base, a large area of contact is provided and, at the same time, the comparatively thin plate is amply capable of, withstand ing the compressive forces imposed upon it.

It will be understood that the clamping mechanism is provided at each end of the cross tie,

but that only one end portion of a tie and the clamping mechanism carried thereon has been illustrated and described herein;

What I claim is:

1. A cross tie and clamp for slide rails com prising laterally spaced guide members on said tie, a clamping plate slidable longitudinally of the tie between said guide members, a stop fixed on said tie and spaced from said plate to accommodate a permanent rail and a slide rail positioned with its tread against the permanent rail and with one. edge of its base on the tie, said clamping plate being disposed edgewise toward said slide rail base and said plate being of. a height substantially corresponding to the width of said slide rail base to resist side thrust on the rail, and a lever pivoted on said tie engageable with the clamping plate to force the said plate, together with said rails, against said stop.

2. A cross tie and clamp for side rails com:

prising laterally spaced guides on the tie, in-

wardly offset portions on said guides, a vertically disposed clamping plate slidable edgewise be tween said guides, lateral wings on said plate,

said wings being slotted to embrace the offset portions of the guides, and means ior forcing one I end of said plate against the slide rai with the end of. the plate engaging edgewise against said rail.

3. in a tie having means for clamping a slide rail against a permanent rail with the base of the slide rail disposed vertically toward the clamping means, a clamping plate having one end disposed vertically of said base and engageable edgewise against the base, the height ofsaid end of the plate substantially corresponding to the width or height of the rail base, whereby resistance to side thrust on the rail is augmented, and means on said tie for forcing said plate endwise against said rail base.

HOMER M. LAMB. 

